HR on a Shoestring
Posted on Monday, January 19, 2009 by Frank RocheIf you had to run HR on a shoestring, what would you keep and what would you discard?
It’s funny, we tend to keep things long after their expiration date. Look in your own refrigerator for proof. You know the only things that last are mustard, pickles, and beer. That milk? Whew!
If I had to run HR on a shoestring, here are a few things I’d keep:
- Compensation strategy
- Benefits strategy
- HR field operations — the real business types
If I had to run HR on a shoestring, here are a few things I’d outsource:
- Payroll
- Open enrollment — all of it.
- Learning & Development
If I had to run HR on a shoestring, here are a few things I’d dump:
- Rules that can’t be defended except by “that’s how we’ve always done it”
- HR types whose only function is defending those rules
- Anyone who didn’t think about the business reason first
I could make list upon list. I’m interested in what you would keep, outsource, or dump. If you have 10 seconds, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. And if you want to know where the idea for this story came from, I made a 30-second movie to tell you. (That’s me talking.)
HR on a Shoestring; The Movie
Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan
Jan 19th, 2009
>> Outsourcing Learning & Development
I would keep this partly in house. That is, HR oversees (in a mentoring not bossing way) people's professional development and hooks them up with the best sources available to learn specific skills from.
For instance, for the good salesperson to become great salesperson, the solution is probably not the local college's sales course, but maybe one of Jeff Thull's, Mahan Khalsa's, Jill Konrath's or Sharon Drew Morgen's workshops. Maybe a tad more expensive but they offer better ROI.
The dump list is spot on.
John H.
Jan 20th, 2009
Outsourcing Open Enrollment – You could sign me up right now. It's a job I have little interest in, but I have the shoe string budget you describe and said budget can't afford the implementation and ongoing fees for outside benefit enrollment services? I'd rather spend the money if I had it on some good Wellness Coaches with a real ROI possibility. I'm just saying…
mszypko
Jan 20th, 2009
Employee Communication should be outsourced. Leave it to the pros …. I hear there is a pretty good firm in Philly!
I agree with the training, with most organizations evolving to distance learning, maybe all you need in house is a strategist in that space.
Frank
Jan 21st, 2009
Good point…lol about a firm in Philly. Training can generally go. Otherwise if it's internal it can be make work.
Frank
Jan 21st, 2009
I guess that's the trick, John…there's lots of good ideas if there's money. Other than that…it's all hands on deck. Wellness…that is the thing.
Strahan
Jan 21st, 2009
Trick question right? Right? Right?
Outsourcing doesn't make you more shoestringier. It only trades real love and devotion to doing the work for a mercantile relationship to someone you hope has love and devotion.
jessica lee
Jan 21st, 2009
i think i'd keep T&D strategy in house – but actual execution and teaching, i'd outsource that. everything else seems pretty spot on!